PI has a long track record of working with OEMs in the most demanding industries from Semiconductor Technology to Medical Design – industries where product performance, quality, and the ability to ramp up quickly are not the only parameters required to satisfy the customer's demands. Working with technology leaders all around the world forces you to continuously improve your yield, process, and product performance. And unless your quality is outstanding, you cannot become a key supplier to major US, European, and Japanese companies in the Optics, Photonics, Semiconductor, and Automotive industry.

PI is a supplier of high-end precision motion systems and makes use of own drive components and high-precision positioners to build customized positioning and automation sub-systems —“motion engines”—for our customers. With the largest portfolio of precision motion technologies in the industry, PI engineers have the best foundation to find a solution that matches your requirements in terms of precision, quality and budget – in a timeframe that works for you.

Select the product type specified by the axes of motion required. Selection of more criteria expands or shortens the list of results. Select more than one filter at at time, for example, to find positioning stages designed for higher load capacity, too.

Air Bearings, PIglide Air Bearing Stages, Air Bearing Systems, Manufactured by PI USA

Air bearings provide advantages over mechanical bearings when vibration-free motion is required, highly constant velocity control is crucial, and when angular repeatability and geometric performance must be optimal. Air bearing stages (linear, rotary, and spherical) replace mechanical contact by a thin air film, avoiding wear, friction, vibration, and hysteresis effects.

PI offers the broadest and deepest range of precision motion technologies for micro and nano precision applications. Our engineers work with our customers to find the best drive and bearing technology for each individual application. Having access to multiple drive and positioning technologies allows an open discussion with a better outcome for the customer.

The PI group employs over 1,200 people in 15 countries and runs engineering and manufacturing centers on 3 continents. Select from the broadest portfolio of precision motion technologies, including piezoelectric and air bearing systems, with 1,000’s of standard products or have our engineers provide you with a custom solution.

A gantry precision positioning stage is sometimes called a linear robot or Cartesian robot. Gantries typically provide motion in 2 or 3 linear degrees of freedom (X-Y and X-Y-Z) and are often used for pick and place applications, 3D printing or laser machining, and welding applications.

Hexapod positioners are often referred to as Stewart Platforms. A hexapod is based on a 6-axis (XYZ, Pitch, Roll, Yaw) actuator system arranged in parallel between a top and bottom platform. PI parallel kinematics (PKM) precision positioning systems have many advantages over serial kinematics stages, such as lower inertia, improved dynamics, smaller package size and higher stiffness. In addition hexapods are more flexible than conventional 6 axis positioners.

There are several ways to achieve nanometer precision motion. The best positioning systems avoid friction all together, in both the drive system (motor) and in the guiding system (bearings). Frictionless bearings also avoid the bearing rumble caused by balls and rollers and provide vibration-free motion with highly constant velocity.

Piezo Motors are intrinsically vacuum compatible, non-magnetic and self locking at rest, providing long travel compared to traditional piezo mechanisms. The individual drive concepts are optimized for different applications, they differ in their design, size, cost, force & speed and other performance parameters.

All Piezo Motors are NOT Created Equal: The piezoelectric effect for precision motion control - PI Physik Instrumente.

The demand for higher speed and/or precision in fields such as bio-nanotechnology, semiconductors, metrology, data comm, and photonics keep pushing manufacturers to come up with innovative drive technologies.

Piezoelectric translators (transducers) are precision ceramic actuators which convert electrical energy directly into linear motion with high speed, force and virtually unlimited resolution. These actuators are used in every modern high tech field from semiconductor test & inspection to super-resolution microscopy, bio-nanotechnology and astronomy/aerospace technology.

Developing and manufacturing piezo ceramic materials and components are complex processes. PI Ceramic - PI’s piezo material design and manufacturing facility - boasts several decades of experience as well as the right tools for rapid prototyping of custom engineered piezo components and assemblies. From the formulation of advanced piezo materials to the processing steps such as cutting, milling, grinding, and the precision assembly, every stage is controlled by our engineers and product specialists.

A piezo controller or driver is used to control the motion of a piezo positioning device. There are open and closed loop controllers. Open-loop controllers are often referred to as piezo driver or even piezo power supply. Closed-loop controllers are divided in two basic types: analog-servo and digital servo controllers.

PI provides a large variety of hardware & software solutions for high precision motion control. Our portfolio spans from integrated compact single axis servo controllers / drivers, such as popular Mercury-class motion controllers, to complex multi-axis systems for parallel-kinematics positioners, such as hexapods.

Standardization is common with adapter plates and brackets, but we can create a custom accessory to fit your application system. PI products ship with the required cables. Customization is always an option.

PI’s tech blog offers over 40 years of insight into innovative applications of precision motion control, nanopositioning, and micropositioning in industry, science, and research. We hope the PI blog is an enjoyable and informative resource, and a starting-point for innovation across disciplines.

PI’s tech blog offers over 40 years of insight into innovative applications of precision motion control, nanopositioning, and micropositioning in industry, science, and research. We hope the PI blog is an enjoyable and informative resource, and a starting-point for innovation across disciplines.

PI products are often used at the cutting edge of technology. They solve critical motion problems in lithography, microscopy, astronomy, laser technology, photonics and semiconductor manufacturing on locations around the world and in places as remote as the Science Lab on the Mars Rover.

PI positioning systems are employed where technology is pushed forward in industry and research. This is done, for example, in semiconductor manufacturing, in medical engineering, in biotechnology, in plant engineering, in surface metrology, or in astronomy.

Because the need for multi-axis and also precision robots in production and quality processes is on the increase, industry is looking out for new types of robotics. PI offers parallel-kinematic hexapods for these tasks.

Lithographic processes are the reason why chips are getting smaller and smaller and why extremely fine structures can be realized on silicon wafers. Piezo drives have made these technical advances possible with their performance and reliability.

Progress in pharmaceutical research, diagnostics, and therapy requires high-performance and precise position systems. In addition to high positioning precision, requirements for the drives often include compact dimensions, low energy consumption, speed, and high reliability.

Efficiency has become an important buzzword these days. Materials research has paid a major contribution as the results have, for example, optimized processing methods. Methods such as X-rays and lasers or white light interferometry demand precise positioning of the specimens to be examined and of optics or beam control.

PI combines its long-term experience in micro and nanopositioning technology with in-depth knowledge in the fields of mechanics, electronics, sensor engineering, and software. Thus, PI is able to offer its customers the most advanced drive technologies and system solutions.

PI Ceramic offers a wealth of experience in the manufacturing of piezoceramic materials, components, and actuators. The piezoceramic materials can be adapted individually to perfectly fit the later use of the piezo components.

Depending on the configuration and control, piezoceramic actuators can be used to create translational motions or as motors with a virtually unlimited travel range. The choice of drive depends on the requirements of the application.

Rotating electric motors such as DC or stepper motors are used in connection with screw or worm drives. Stepper motor systems with high-resolution encoders can perform minimum incremental motions of 10 nm with high reliability and repeatability.

In a parallel-kinematic, multi-axis system, all actuators act directly on a single moving platform. This means that all axes can be designed with identical dynamic properties, thus reducing the moved mass considerably. Hexapods are used for moving and precision positioning, aligning and displacing loads in all six degrees of freedom, i.e., three linear and three rotational axes.

The linearity and repeatability achieved are not possible without highest-resolution measuring devices. Accuracies in the range of a few nanometers and below require a position measurement method that can also detect motion in this range.

Fast settling or extremely smooth low speed motion, high positional stability, high resolution and high dynamics – the requirements placed on piezo systems vary greatly and need drivers and controllers with a high degree of flexibility.

Careful handling, adequate premises: PI does not only have the necessary equipment for the qualification of materials, components and final products, but also has many years of experience with regard to HV und UHV positioning systems.

Talk to our engineers first. They have access to in-depth knowledge and test data on diverse driving and guiding technologies, spanning from electromagnetic to piezoceramic and from mag-lev to air bearings. They also have experience selecting the right technology for each individual application. Often an adaptation of existing technologies/products will suffice to solve a problem. However, experience along with detailed knowledge and PI’s significant R&D investment in new technologies enables our engineers to take unique approaches.

PI offers sound training in technical and business careers with a future. Pupils, students, graduates and professionals can get involved at PI and will be supported by us in their professional and personal further development.

Talk to our engineers first. They have access to in-depth knowledge and test data on diverse driving and guiding technologies, spanning from electromagnetic to piezoceramic and from mag-lev to air bearings. They also have experience selecting the right technology for each individual application. Often an adaptation of existing technologies/products will suffice to solve a problem. However, experience along with detailed knowledge and PI’s significant R&D investment in new technologies enables our engineers to take unique approaches.

Talk to our engineers first. They have access to in-depth knowledge and test data on diverse driving and guiding technologies, spanning from electromagnetic to piezoceramic and from mag-lev to air bearings. They also have experience selecting the right technology for each individual application. Often an adaptation of existing technologies/products will suffice to solve a problem. However, experience along with detailed knowledge and PI’s significant R&D investment in new technologies enables our engineers to take unique approaches.

MOTION & POSITIONING TECHNOLOGY NEWS #29

Micro-Positioning Stages with Reduced Prices

With 2018 upon us and negotiated price reductions on all major components used in the manufacturing of our precision stages, we're passing these savings on to our existing and new customers.

PI invites you to take this opportunity to discuss our world-leading micro-positioning motor technologies (DC/Stepper, Linear and Voice Coil Motor, Piezo Inertia and Ultrasonic) along with our new pricing structure.

Google's Pixel 2 has one of the most advanced cameras found in smartphones today. In a recent Youtube video by "Nat & Friends" on how Google built the Pixel 2 Camera, PI's H-860 "shaker" hexapod is shown in a motion simulation application. Modern cameras use electronic image stabilization algorithms to reduce side effects from motion that otherwise would blur images and video. The better a designer can simulate and repeat the actual vibration and unwanted motion generated by typical humans holding a camera, the more effective countermeasures can be devised.

Motion Simulator "Shaker" Hexapod Uses Magnetic Direct Drives

The H-860 6-axis hexapod was designed for high dynamics motion simulations that require zero-play positioning and delivers that without mechanical noise in the drivetrain. It is based on PI's own PIMag voice coil linear magnetic drives, frictionless for fast response and a long service life. The direct-drive hexapod, comes with a powerful digital controller with open software architecture and hexapod-specific software.

The new E-871.1A1N digital servo controller is the latest model in a series of drivers and controllers specifically designed for inertia-motor based opto-mechanical actuators (piezo ratchet drives) that are widely used in the semiconductor, laser and photonics industry for fine-tuning of complex systems. The miniature actuators are often employed as "set-and-forget" mechanisms with an option to remotely make adjustments, where manual micrometer screws would necessitate a system-shutdown to allow for corrections. Other application fields include bio-nanotechnology, microscopy, and micro-manipulation.

World Class Service & Support, Available Around the Globe

PI's committed to exceeding customer expectations for service. PI's On-Site Services range from a one day quick start site visit to comprehensive training programs to a day with a senior engineer at your location, at your disposal. An Extended Warranty of 3, 4 or 5 years and Contracted Support Services to meet system up-time demands are additional components of PI's Global Services.

EtherCAT® popularity increases as the fastest Industrial Ethernet-based fieldbus system

EtherCAT® is a modern, cost efficient, open real-time Ethernet-based fieldbus system. Registered trademark and patented technology licensed by Beckhoff Automation GmbH, Germany, EtherCAT is short for "Ethernet for Control Automation Technology" and is used by control and system engineers as a robust, high-speed, real-time network for machine control solutions. The flexibility of the fieldbus system and the precise synchronization of all network devices help EtherCAT to gain popularity on a global base.